Microstylish

May 31, 2013:Wall Street Journal

A new brand of low-frill, but stylish hotel is coming to Manhattan.

Commune Hotels & Resorts plans to start its new brand, named Tommie, with a 329-room location in West SoHo and a 250-room hotel north of Madison Park. They are slated to open by 2015, with rooms of about 150 square feet. Small but hip has become a niche in Manhattan’s booming hotel business. The Tommie hotels in Manhattan plan to charge rates in the mid-$200-a-night range and offer amenities that are popular with young travelers. Commune plans for Tommie hotels to feature open, casual lobbies and reading rooms in which guests can meet, work together and socialize.

Both hotels are being developed by groups led by Cube Capital Ltd. and will be managed by Commune. The hotel company plans to open additional Tommie hotels in major U.S. cities and abroad, the company said.